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\ o. s. 'GARRETSON I y `SGHUOL DESK.

No. 244,992. Patented Aug. 2,1881.

.liza-en for:

UNITED-f STATES PATENT OFFICE.

j OLIVER' s. GAFRETSON, oF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SCHOOL-DESK.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,992, dated August2, 1881.

` Application ined september 25,1879.

To all whom t'may concern:

Beit known that 1, OLIVER S. GAnRE'rsoN, of the city `of Buffalo, in thecounty of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in School-Furniture; and I do hereby declare thatthefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference bein g had to the accompanying draw# ings,forming part of thisspeciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of schooldesks and seats, and has for its object to simplify theirconstruction,improve their appearance, and render them noiseless in their operation.

My invention consists, first, in the peculiar construction of the means.whereby the standard and'seat-arms are secured to the wooden back and`seat; second, inthe peculiar construction of the hinge whereby the seatis con-` nected with the standards; and, third, of a doubletongue-and-groovejointof peculiar construction, whereby the slats ofwhich the back and seat are composed lare readily secured together, aswill be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimproved school desk and seat, with the latter raised. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation in line nur, Fig. l, with the seatlowered. Fig. 3 isa cross-section, on an enlarged scale, through the seat-arm' and seat.

p Fig. 4 is an inside elevation, on an enlarged' scale, of one of theseat-arms. Fig.5is an inside elevation, on enlarged scale, of theseatjoint with the cap removed. Fig. 6 isasection in line y y, Fig. 5,with the cap in place. Fig. 7 is an outside elevation of the joint diskor knuckle of the standard on an enlarged scale. Fig. 8 is across-section through the slats of which the back and i seat arecomposed.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several iigures.` Arepresents the slats ofl which the back and seat are composed. Brepresents the standards, and O the scat-arms.

The wooden portions of the back and seat are each provided on theirsides against which the standards or seat-arms are fitted with groovesd, having au undercut outer side, d', and preferably constructed in theform of a dovetail groove, as shown in the drawings.

The standards and seat-arms are each constructed with a projecting ribor feather, E, of a length to fit in the groove d of the contiguouswooden part.

The feather E is constructedwith an inclined outer side, e, shaped toiit against the undercut outer side, d', of the groove, and an inclinedinner side, e', made less steep than the outer inclined side, e. Theinner inclined side, e', of the feather bears only against the outeredges of the groove d, as shown.

f are screw-lugs formed on that side of the standard or seat-arm onwhich the less-inclined side e of the feather E is arranged, and f' arescrews which pass through the lugs f and enter the wooden portion of theseat or back.

In placing the feather E into lthe groove d of the respective woodenportion the less-inclined side e of the feather E comes in contact withthe outered'ge of the groove d. and tends to move the feather sidewisein the groove until the steep side e of the feather strikes against theundercut side d of the groove. Upon applying and tightening the screws fthe edge ot' the groove against which the side c of the feather bearsyields partially and adapts itself to any inequalities which may eX- istin the feather, and at the same time causes, in connection with theincline e', a wedgin g action, which forces the opposite side, c, of thefeather against the undercut side df of the groove, whereby the featheris firmly secured in the groove. By this means a practically tight titof thefeather in the groove and a iirm and reliable connection of theparts is produced without requiring great nicety in the manufacture ofthe castings.

G represents the joint knuckle or disk, formed on each standard belowthe seat, and H is the corresponding knuckle or disk formed on eachseat-arm. h is the central hole, formed in each of the disks for thereception of the pivot-bolt h. The knuckle G is provided with twoperipheral bearing-surfaces, I I ,"arran ged on opposite sides of thecenter of the joint. The

surface I is curved with a greater radius than the surface I', and bothare connected by a radial shoulder or stop, t', at the upper ends of thesurfaces. i is a similar .stop projecting outward from the lower end ofthe surface I.

j is a curved groove or depression formed in the outer side of eachknuckle G, concentric IOO with the center thereof, and made of a lengthwhich permits the requisite movement of the seat. j' is acushion, ofrubber or other elastic material, arranged in the lower portion of thegroove j, and, if desired, a similar cushion may be arranged in theupper end thereof.

The knuckle or disk H, formed at the inner end ot' each seat-arm, bearsagainst the outer side of each knuckle G.

k is araised curved tlange or shoulder formed on the disk H, andarranged to lit against thc peripheral surface I of the knuckle G.

l is a stop projecting inwardly from the curved shoulder r, and Z' is astop projecting outwardly from said shoulder, both stops being adaptedto engage, respectively, against the shoulders i and t" of the knuckle Gwhen the seat is lowered.

'In is a lug formed on the inner side ot' the 'disk H and projectinginto the curved groove j, and adapted to come in contact with theelastic cushion j' before the stops l Z' strike the stops t' i', therebybreaking the force of the concussion and preventing noise. Theperipheral bearing-surfaces I I', in conjunction with the curved tlangels andthe stops of the respective parts, serve to keep both parts ofeach joint in their proper relative position, thereby relieving thepivot-bolt from all strains and forming a simple and reliablejoint.

K is a cap or plate which covers the inner side of the joint, andprevents persons from getting their fingers between thc shoulders of thesame.

n represents a rounded tongue or feather, and a' a rounded groove formedon each edge of each slat A, so that the tongue of one slat engages inthe groove of the adjacent slat, each joint being formed by two tonguesand two grooves, as clearly shown. The rounded form of the tongues andgrooves causes avery close tit of the slats, which is very desirablewhen the ends of the slats are exposed, as in schoolfurniture, and itfurthermore enables the slats to be put together very easily, and formsa strong joint when the slats are placed at an angle to each other, asin the seats and backs of scl1oolfurniture 5 and it permits the jointsto be readily glued together, forming a nice and close joint, as theglue is evenly distributed over the rounded surfaces of the tongues andgrooves, and the excess of glue readily discharged when the slats areclamped together.

I am aware that joints composed of a double tongue and groove havingplane' contiguous surfaces and more or less sharp rectangular cornersare not new, and I do not claim such construction, as it weakens theslats when arranged at an angle to each other, and is not as suitablefor glue-joints, because it confines the glue in the grooves andprevents the slats from comin g closely together.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with the seat or backprovided with a dovetail groove, d, having an undercut side d', of aseat-arm or standard constructed with a rib or feather, E, having oneofits inclined sides, c, adapted to fit against the undercut side d' ofthe groove, and having its opposite side, c', inclined with less pitch,and constructed to come in contact only with the outer edge of thegroove d and screwlugs f on that side of the standard or seat-arm uponwhich the less incline side c' of the ribis arranged, whereby upontightening the screws which pass through the screw-1u gs the ed ge ofthe groove d yields, and adapts itself to the inequalities of thecasting and forces the rib E sidewise against the undercut side d' ofthegroove, substantially as set forth.

2. In a seat-joint, the combination, with a standard, B,constructed witha disk or knuckle, G, having two arc-shaped peripheral bearingsurfaces,l I', arranged on opposite sides of the center of thejoint, the surfaceI having a greater radius than the surface I', a shoulder or stop, t',connecting the two surfaces I I', and a shoulder or stop, vl',projecting outward from the surface I, and a curved groove, j, providedwith an elastic cushion, j', of a seatarm constructed with a disk orknuckle, H, having a curved flange, k, fitting against thebearing-surface I, stops Z l', adapted to engage against the stops it"of the standard, and a projecting lug, m, engaging in the groove j,substantially as set forth.

3. A matched glue-joint, consisting ot' two half-round tongues, n, andsimilar grooves n', the tongues and grooves of two adjacent slatsforming parallel S-shaped surfaces, which permit of a free escape of theexcess of glue when the slats are clamped together, substantially as setforth.

OLIVER S. GARRETSON.

Witnesses:

E. N. MEAD, CHAUNCEY H. KING.

IOCA

